Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Riley came awake with a start and tried to figure out what had roused her. She saw Aaron’s silhouette sitting in a chair by the window, pulling on a sock.
“What’s up?” she asked, rising. A glance at the clock showed her she’d slept less than an hour. “It’s only midnight.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m going to head over to Jacko’s bar, see if I can find Johnny Sparks.”
Riley’s tempered flared. “And you weren’t going to wake me up?”
Aaron leaned back in the chair, and even in the dark room she could read the weariness in his posture. “I don’t suppose I can ask you to sit this one out?”
She shook her head. “You’re right. You can’t.”
“Riley, you heard Bubbles. Jacko’s is a rough place.”
“Which is exactly why I’m going. I’m not sending you into a place like that without backup.”
He chuckled. “We may be in Vegas, but I’m not Grissom and you’re not Catherine and this isn’t CSI . Besides I’m a cop, I go into places like this all the time at home.”
“Not without your partner.” She had a valid point and she knew it. She rose as she spoke and began putting her discarded jeans back on.
“It’s not safe and I really don’t want you to go with me.”
She paused in the process of pulling on her shirt. “Tough shit.”
She finished tugging the shirt over her head. Her answer clearly annoyed him and she wondered how he would handle this argument. In the past, they’d often disagreed over her doing things he didn’t approve of, but she’d always gotten her way because—as she pointed out—he had no say-so in what she did or where she went. Now that they were married, the rules had changed a bit. Though she had no intentions of letting him control her, she would have to take his concerns into account.
He stood and crossed the room. She stood up straighter, ready to do battle if needed. Though she understood he was afraid to take her into that bar, he failed to comprehend that she felt the same way about him. His job as a police officer had always bothered her, but she realized now exactly how difficult being married to a cop would be.
She tried to hide her discomfort at his silence. Arguments with Aaron were hell on her nerves. Damn man never worked on impulse, on emotion, like she did. He was a thinker and she could see him analyzing every flipping angle as they stared each other down.
“You’re not going to win every argument, Riley.”
“I know that.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “So you’re gonna have to pick your battles. Decide which ones really matter to you. I know I’ve backed down in the past, but I’m not going to just lay down on every issue.”
She reached out, placed her hands on his waist and took a step closer. “I don’t expect you to. I just don’t want you to go to that bar alone. Please don’t ask me to stay here. I can’t.”
Her words seemed to take him aback and he studied her face too intently for her comfort. He cupped her cheek with one of his large palms and she tried not to melt under the gentle touch. “You’ll stick to me like glue and you’ll let me do all the talking. I don’t ever want you more than five inches from me when we’re in there. If you can’t agree to that, I’ll handcuff you to that bed to keep you here.”
She smiled. “You kinky boy. You handcuff me to that bed and neither one of us will make it to that bar tonight.”
“I’m serious, Riley.”
“I won’t leave your side and I won’t say a word. Promise.”
He shook his head. “Your pop and brothers would kick my ass if they knew I was planning to take you to a roughneck bar to question a pimp who could quite possibly have put a hit out on Trevor.”
“I’ll never tell.” She ran her finger over her heart in the shape of a cross and he blew out an exasperated breath.
“When we get back to Baltimore, we’re going to have a long talk about my job.”
She blinked twice, shocked by how well he knew her. “How did you know?”
He bent forward and kissed her forehead. “I know you.”
She shook her head. “And yet you still married me. Crazy.”
“Come on. The sooner we talk to the pimp, the sooner we can get back in bed. I’m getting damn sick and tired of having my honeymoon interrupted.”
She grabbed her jacket and slid her cell phone in her back jeans pocket. “You’re preaching to the choir, sugar.”
* * *
Jacko’s was everything Bubbles described and more. Aaron suspected even Hell wouldn’t welcome this establishment behind its gates. He tried to ignore the fact there appeared to be a drug deal going down in the parking lot. A guy was puking by the entrance as they walked up, clearly having met his limit of drinks two hours before he stopped drinking.
As they walked in the front door, he was assaulted by thick, rancid cigarette smoke and the twanging sound of country music blaring from a pair of speakers in the corner. A few tough-looking guys by the bar took his measure before he made it five steps inside, then their gazes landed on Riley and he could see the surprise on their faces. No man with half a brain in his head would bring a woman like Riley into a bar like this. For the hundredth time since they’d left the hotel, he wondered what the fuck he was doing.
It was her face as she’d looked at him, as she’d asked him not to leave her behind that had sealed the deal on his insanity. She was worried about him. Some foolish part of him had thought if he brought her along, let her see that he could handle himself in dives like this, she wouldn’t worry as much when they returned to Baltimore and he returned to work. While that idea seemed a sound one in theory, the reality of bringing her to Jacko’s was proving to be the most asinine thing he’d ever done in his life.
She tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the end of the bar. Through the haze of smoke and the crush of smelly bodies, she’d managed to spot Johnny. There was no missing him. Johnny Sparks was exactly as Bubbles had described and in the dim lighting, Aaron would swear he was looking at Wayne Newton in the flesh.
“Come on,” he said. “Stay close.”
He stepped up to the bar, catching the bartender’s attention. He gestured for two beers, trying to decide where the safest spot for Riley was. If he put her in front of him, she’d be protected from all the men in the room, more than a few of whom were definitely checking her out. However, that would put her closest to Johnny. Deciding he could defend her against one rather than many more easily, he put her on the stool next to the pimp, while he stood behind her, pressing his chest against her back.
“Worry much?” she teased and he narrowed his eyes. One look at her face proved that while he was a nervous wreck, Riley was soaking up the atmosphere and already adapting. He reached over her shoulder for one of the beers the bartender delivered, trying to figure out the best way to engage Bella’s pimp without tipping their hand too soon.
“You Johnny Sparks?” Riley asked, and Aaron fought back a groan.
The man narrowed his eyes before turning to look at them for the first time. Aaron spotted the same surprise on Johnny’s face as he’d seen on the other customers in the bar when he saw tiny, clean-cut, pretty Riley sitting next to him. One quick glance around the bar confirmed that the only women who frequented the joint were either hardened hookers or tattooed amazons who could hold their own.
“Who wants to know?” he asked and Aaron gripped Riley’s waist, warning her that he was supposed to be questioning the man.
“I do,” she said, her tone pure smartass.
Johnny didn’t seem to know how to respond. “Who the hell are you?”
“Riley Collins…er, Young.” She put her hand out for a handshake and again, her actions seemed to fluster the man. He reached out and accepted her hand. “Nice to meet you. We’re friends of Bella’s.”
“Riley,” Aaron muttered. “I thought I was going to handle this.”
“You know Bella?” Johnny asked. “You seen her lately?”
Riley shook her head. “I don’t really remember ever seeing her, but apparently I met her last night. Unfortunately I was sort of trashed.”
It appeared trashed was a state Johnny could relate to and understand. “You don’t happen to remember seeing her with some big shot gambler from out of town, do you?”
Riley snorted. “Big shot gambler? Trev?”
Aaron tightened his grip. He’d lost control of this situation in less than five minutes. Johnny’s eyes narrowed when she mentioned Trevor’s name.
“Trev?” Johnny asked. “Is that the motherfucker’s name?” His tone had crossed from bored to pure, pulsating anger. “You know him?” His eyes narrowed and he leaned closer. Suddenly Aaron was regretting putting Riley in front of him.
“Listen, Johnny—” he began quickly, trying to divert the man’s attention from his newlywed wife.
“Shut the fuck up,” Johnny said menacingly. “I’m talking to the woman.”
Aaron felt Riley’s back stiffen. “Don’t you talk to my husband that way.”
Johnny’s face darkened with fury. “Listen you little whore, if you know where my Bella is, you better start talking now .”
Riley attempted to lean toward the furious man but Aaron held her back. Jesus, now he had two pissed-off loose cannons to deal with. Yeah, coming here had not been a fantastic idea and he could see Tris taking a swing at him if he ever found out.
“Let’s go, Riley,” he said, leaning down to speak in her ear to be heard over the loud music. “He doesn’t know where she is. This is a lost cause and I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.” A quick survey of the room proved a couple of men were getting brave as they started to move closer. In about two minutes, he suspected things were going to get very ugly.
Riley shrugged off his hand as he tried to pull her off the barstool. “Did you call me a whore?” Riley asked.
“Tell me where Bella is.” Johnny stood, his voice raised over the din in the room. The two men who had been approaching them took one look at Johnny and turned around. Great, Aaron thought. The regulars were afraid of the pissed-off Wayne Newton wannabe. This wasn’t good.
“Or what?” Riley taunted. “You gonna order up a hit on me too?”
Aaron closed his eyes briefly and prayed for the patience not to turn Riley over his lap right here and spank her ass for real. “That’s it. We’re fucking leaving.”
“A hit?” Johnny seemed completely taken off-guard by her comment.
“A friend of ours said you ordered a hit on the last guy Bella took off with.” Aaron shook his head. Jesus, Riley sucked at the subtle art of interrogation. She’d just blazed her way across the bar and asked what she wanted to know. His first instinct was to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and get her the hell out of there.
Johnny’s response, however, pulled him up short.
“A hit?” Johnny repeated, this time roaring with laughter as he said it. Aaron looked around and noticed the room full of drunks almost seemed to release a sigh of relief. He wished he felt as comforted. “Holy fuck. That is so twisted and stupid, it’s funny. How the hell could I order up a hit? And what dumb cunt told you that?”
Riley looked back at him and gestured as if to say, “ He gets to use that word”, and Aaron narrowed his gaze. “What happened to letting me handle this?”
“You take too long. Hell, we’d still be sitting here sipping our beers if I’d left it up to you. I’m sort of horny. It is my honeymoon, remember?”
Aaron shook his head. “This is my job, Riley. There’s nothing wrong with erring on the side of caution. Taking your time to feel out the situation.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Jaysus. I can tell you right now, I’m not gonna spend my life waiting around for you to make decisions. I do not have time for that shit.”
“Listen, sweetheart…” He dragged out the term of endearment, lacing it with as much sarcasm as he could muster. “All I’m saying is?—”
“Who the hell are you two?” Johnny’s laughter had subsided, but at least his anger hadn’t returned. Aaron began to get a sense the man wasn’t as dangerous as they’d been led to believe. Despite his odd attire, he looked as though he could just as easily be sitting at the end of the bar in Pat’s Pub, shooting the shit over the latest sporting event with Riley’s pop and brothers.
Riley turned and gave Johnny an exasperated look. “I told you. I’m Riley Young. This conversation is going to take too damn long if I have to keep repeating myself. Your…” She paused and Aaron assumed she was searching for a polite word for prostitute. “Lady friend, Bella, was last seen with our friend Trev. Trev’s wife is here now and she’s looking for him. We said we’d help because she’s just found out she’s pregnant.” After a brief pause, she added, “With Trev’s baby. We were hoping you might know where he and Bella are. Maybe you could help us find them.”
Johnny shrugged. “And why should I try to help you find this man for his knocked-up wife?”
“You do not want a pissed-off, hormone-imbalanced Johanna Blankenship running around Vegas. She makes this room of roughnecks look like a bunch of choir boys.”
For the first time since they’d engaged the man in conversation, Johnny’s gaze landed on him. “You married this woman?”
Aaron nodded wearily.
“Voluntarily?”
Aaron barked out a brief laugh as Riley put her hands on her hips. “Oh, that’s rich. You’re sitting here dressed like a washed-up goddamn Vegas singer and you’re criticizing my husband’s choice for a wife?”
“Wayne Newton is far from washed up!” Aaron could see Johnny’s previous anger was nothing in comparison to his sudden fury now. Obviously, Riley had attacked him on a very personal level. “Where the fuck are you from? Wayne Newton has performed over thirty thousand shows here in Vegas—at the Tropicana, the Stardust. He has a street named after him. He was on Dancing with the goddamn fucking Stars . Jesus, they call him Mr. Las Vegas, for fuck sake! Where’s your respect?” His voice and his body had risen throughout his recitation of Wayne’s resume until he was towering over them, and quite a few of the people sitting nearby moved away.
The bartender stepped closer and looked at Aaron. “Did you just insult Wayne Newton in front of Johnny?”
Aaron shook his head.
Johnny pointed at Riley. “No. She did.”
“They call him Mr. Las Vegas?” she asked. “Seriously?”
Shaking his head, Johnny resumed his seat on his barstool. “Fucking tourists. Yes. That’s what they call him.”
“Well, that’s pretty cool. Sorry I called him washed-up.”
Johnny just stared at her and Aaron sort of felt a bit of sympathy for the man. Riley could wear out the most patient of souls. “I don’t know where your friend is. I wish I did. Bella—” Johnny’s voice cracked on the woman’s name and Aaron realized they’d found the chink in the man’s armor.
“You love her.” Her words weren’t a question, but a simple statement.
Johnny nodded. “Course I do. Been asking her to marry me for months now.”
Aaron felt the same confusion he saw written on Riley’s face. However, while he figured out they’d misinterpreted the information Bubbles gave them, Riley didn’t make the leap as quickly.
“Wow. Never heard of a pimp marrying one of his girls.”
Aaron groaned and feared her comment would set Johnny off again. He tried to divert the disaster. “Um, Riley. I don’t think?—”
“Pimp?” Johnny asked. His body shook with laughter and for several minutes, they could only sit and wait as the man struggled to regain his composure. Each time Aaron thought he’d pulled himself together, he’d begin wheezing with laughter that turned into a coughing fit that ended once again with laughter. His face was purple with merriment and there were tears streaming down his face.
Riley looked back at Aaron. “I think maybe we jumped to the wrong conclusion after talking to Bubbles.”
“What was your first clue?”
“I’ve sort of fucked this all up, haven’t I?”
Aaron shrugged. They weren’t dead. They hadn’t been robbed. Johnny wasn’t the mob-connected pimp they’d feared. Really, the only bad part of this little excursion was they still didn’t have a clue where Trev was. “Yeah, you did, and yet, in typical Riley fashion, you appear to have emerged unscathed.”
“Sorry we bothered you, Johnny,” she said, starting to rise. Discovering they were leaving, Johnny sobered up, his peals of laughter dying down.
“Where you going? The night’s still young. Let me buy you two a drink and you can tell me where you got the fool notion I was a pimp.” Speaking the word pimp caused Johnny to chuckle once more.
“That’s okay,” Aaron started, but Riley resumed her seat as Johnny waved the bartender over.
Fuck. They’d been so close to escaping.
“I think we just sort of misinterpreted something our friend Bubbles said,” Riley explained.
“Sounds to me like you misheard everything that stupid cow said. What makes you think I can put a hit out on somebody?”
The bartender brought another round of beers and Aaron pulled an empty stool over, placing it right up against Riley’s. She gave him a look that told him to back off, but he ignored it. Despite the fact Johnny appeared to be harmless, that didn’t mean the other men in the bar were.
“Bubbles said the last time Bella ran off with a guy, you put a hit on him.”
Johnny grinned and Aaron was taken aback by how much the guy really did look like Wayne Newton. In this dim lighting, hidden behind the haze of cigarette smoke, he was actually a dead ringer.
“Bella didn’t run off with that guy and I didn’t put a hit on him. I hit him. With my cab.”
“Cab?” Riley asked.
“I’m a taxi driver, not a pimp.”
“And you hit a guy with your car?”
Johnny shrugged. “It’s not like I killed him or anything. Fucker was climbing out of our bedroom window—mine and Bella’s. Guess they’d heard my car pull up to the curb. Caught a glimpse of him coming out of the house and I gunned the engine. Chased the prick for two blocks before I was able to clip him from behind and knock him down. Got out of the cab, beat the shit outta him and then went home. That’s it.”
Aaron was suddenly grateful for his job on the force in Baltimore. Though Maryland had its fair share of crazies, Vegas seemed to hold the current record.
“Good for you.” Riley raised her glass to toast Johnny.
Aaron looked at her with disbelief. “Good for him? Riley, he chased the guy down with his car.”
“The guy was screwing his girlfriend. In Johnny’s house. Hell, in Johnny’s bed .”
Johnny nodded, clearly delighted that Riley was defending him. “I had to flip the mattress. Couldn’t get the image of that fucker rutting away in my spot out of my mind.”
Riley gestured to Johnny as if his comments reiterated what she’d just said. Aaron started to restate his stance, but the determined looks on Riley’s and Johnny’s faces proved anything else he said would be a waste of breath. He tried not to dwell on the fact that his wife’s opinions of right and wrong aligned more closely with the Wayne Newton taxi driver’s than his. Oh yeah, the next fifty years or so were going to be very interesting.
Riley reached over and patted the man’s hand sympathetically. “You know, Johnny, I hate to bring up a sore subject, but Bella doesn’t seem to be the most faithful of girlfriends. Are you sure you might not be better off without her?”
Riley’s comforting touch and softly spoken words seemed to open the floodgates and for the second time in one day, they watched a person fall apart due to Trev and Bella’s desertion.
“It’s not Bella’s fault,” he blubbered. “It’s mine. I’ve been putting too much pressure on her. She was bound to break under the stress.”
“Pressure?” Riley asked.
“I want to get married, start a family, but Bella’s focused on her career. Claims having a baby would ruin that.”
It just dawned on Aaron that he didn’t know what Bella did, now that hooker had been crossed off the list. “Her career?”
Johnny looked at him. “She’s a stripper. Best fucking stripper in Vegas.”
“Ah.” Riley nodded with understanding. “I guess having a baby could interfere with that.”
“My Bella’s not a bad girl. It’s just she has these needs.”
Aaron recalled the clerk at Sal’s talking about Bella’s penchant for pony play. He took a long swig of beer, hoping to finish it quickly and move on. The last thing he needed was for Riley’s curiosity to be piqued over that particular sex kink. He had absolutely no interest in putting a bit in Riley’s mouth and riding her around the bedroom.
“Needs?” Riley prompted.
Aaron looked at his watch. “Um, Riley. It’s getting kind of late,” he murmured in her ear. She gave him a look like he was a heartless bastard for suggesting they leave Johnny while he was so upset.
Johnny didn’t seem to notice their exchange as he began pouring out all his woes.
Aaron waved the bartender over and ordered another beer. Might as well get comfortable. He knew Riley wouldn’t leave until she’d heard every sordid and twisted tale Johnny Sparks had to share. He’d spent many a night like this, sitting at a bar as Riley served as counselor to every misfit toy on the island.
Johnny explained Bella’s fascination and need to be in the spotlight. “She was born to be a star. Born to be admired. She gets up on that stage and I swear to God, it’s like magic.”
“But that doesn’t explain why she feels the need to cheat on you, Johnny. You know, you really shouldn’t put up with that shit. If Aaron ever cheated on me, I’d cut his dick off.”
Aaron looked at her with a playful grin, tapping his brow. “I’m definitely filing that useful piece of information away for future reference.”
Riley gave him an annoyed glance. “You’d never cheat on me.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t. Although it is my honeymoon and we have been in this bar a long time…”
She gave him a breathtaking grin. “I’ll make it up to you. Later.”
He scowled as she turned back to Johnny. “If you’re really in love with Bella, you need to put your foot down. Tell her it’s you or the highway and you’re gonna have to tell her no more affairs.”
Johnny looked down miserably. “I wish I could, but what do I have to offer her? I’m lucky the woman looked my way to begin with. What do I have to hold a woman like her?”
It was clear the man worshiped the ground his unfaithful girlfriend walked on. Aaron sort of felt sorry for the guy.
“Are you kidding me? You’re a good-looking guy. You’ve got your own business. I mean, it’s your taxi, right?”
Johnny nodded. “Yeah. I’m an independent businessman.”
Just not a successful one , Aaron thought. He figured that explained why Johnny was able to close down Jacko’s every night rather than work.
Riley rested her cheek on her hand. “You know, Johnny. I’ve been wondering. How come you don’t do impersonation work? You’ve got this Wayne Newton look down pat.”
“I can’t sing.”
“What?” Aaron asked.
“I’m tone deaf. Can’t sing a note.”
Aaron rubbed his face wearily and wondered how he got here. Two days ago he’d been hanging out in his own apartment in Baltimore, minding his own business and watching baseball on the television. One phone call from Keira later, he was all the way across the country, sitting in a Vegas dive with a tone deaf Wayne Newton look-alike, looking for Trev and a stripper and to top it all off, he was now married to Riley Collins.
Glancing over at his new wife, he grinned. Aside from the fact he was in Vegas, this night with her wasn’t all that different than a thousand other nights he’d spent in her presence. The woman had a knack for finding trouble and still landing on her feet.
“Wow,” he heard her say, “that sucks. But do you have to be able to sing? Can’t you just lip-synch?”
Johnny shrugged. “It’s not just the singing. I, um…” He lowered his voice and Aaron found himself leaning closer to hear his next words. “I’ve got terrible stage fright. Can’t get up in front of people without shitting in my pants.”
“Oh.” Riley turned to face Aaron and mouthed the letters TMI . He fought back a grin at her joke as she twisted back to Johnny. “Listen, Johnny,” she said, grabbing a fresh napkin and asking the bartender for a pen. “This is my cell phone number. If Bella should come home, would you call me? We’re really pretty anxious to find Trev.”
Johnny’s face darkened as she said Trevor’s name. “Oh, I’ll call you,” he assured her. “Right after I plow the fucker over with my cab.”
Riley sighed. “Truth be told, Johnny, I think your plans for Trev might be kinder than his wife’s when she finds out he cheated on her.”
Johnny perked up at her comment. “Really?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ll make sure not to kill him with my cab. Want to make sure he’s alive to get the wife’s treatment too.”
Riley laughed. “You’re a heartless bastard, Johnny.”
He smiled at her. “And you’re not so bad for a tourist, Riley. Even if you do know fuck-all about Wayne Newton.”
Aaron added his goodbyes to the mix and tugged Riley out of the bar. He’d never been so happy to be outside in the fresh, clean air.
“Ew,” Riley said, scrunching up her nose. “We stink.”
“Stale smoke and beer. What do you say we go back to the hotel and take a shower together? I’ll even let you suck my cock.”
She laughed. “Gee thanks, sugar. Actually that doesn’t sound like such a bad plan. The shower part,” she clarified.
“Hey, you’re the one who promised to make up the fact we just spent an hour longer in that dive than we needed to.”
“Johnny was distraught. We couldn’t leave him like that.”
Aaron sort of thought they could. The man had been three sheets to the wind and he wasn’t sure Johnny was even going to remember talking to them come morning.
“There you two are!” a loud voice said from behind them.
Aaron turned, surprised to find Bubbles jiggling her way across the parking lot toward them. He wondered if she realized her spandex top really wasn’t a suitable replacement for a bra.
“Hey, Bubbles. What are you doing here?” Riley asked.
“I figured you guys would come looking for Johnny. I’ve been waiting out here almost an hour. I was just about to give up. Time is money, you know. Thought maybe you’d chickened out. Were you in there that whole time?”
Riley nodded and Aaron saw the hooker was impressed. “Dayum, chica . You’re a crazier bitch than me.”
Aaron tried to ignore the fact Riley took Bubbles’ comment as a compliment.
“Was there a reason you were looking for us, Bubbles?” he asked, not forgetting the promise of a shower and possibly a blowjob looming in his very near future.
“Did Johnny know where Bella was?”
Riley shook her head. “Nope. And he’s not happy.”
“Didn’t figure he would be after the hit he put on that last guy. Put the poor guy in the hospital for nearly a week. Johnny may be stupid as pigeon shit, but he’s strong and mean when riled.”
Aaron had to agree with that assessment.
“Anyway, I was thinking after you left. Maybe you should go to Swingers.”
“Swingers?” Aaron asked.
“It’s the strip club where Bella works. Fucking bitch stole the job I wanted.”
“You wanted to be a stripper?” Riley’s voice expressed her surprise.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Who wouldn’t want to be a stripper? All that money, men looking but not really touching. It’s a dream job. Way better than being a fucking ho.”
“So why are you a hooker if you hate it? You’re a smart woman, pretty face. I’m sure you could find lots of jobs.”
Bubbles shrugged. “Not as easy as you think. Sort of fell into the hooking after high school, got into some money troubles and sex was a quick way to make a buck. Now people know me around here. I got a reputation. Ain’t nobody gonna hire a hooker for any respectable job.”
“So move somewhere else,” Riley suggested.
“With what? Monopoly money? Besides, where would I go? I was born in Vegas. Only place I’ve ever been. I got friends here.”
Riley fell silent and Aaron tried to beat back his sixth sense that said her sudden quietness couldn’t be good. Anxious to distract her from whatever plot she was cooking up, he latched onto the first thing that popped into his mind.
“So where is this Swingers?” he asked.
Riley glanced at him, a smile crossing her face. “You wanna go to the strip club?”
“Why not? For all we know, she’s taking a spin on the pole as we speak. Johnny mentioned her love of the spotlight. And if not, maybe Bella called in and quit. Maybe she told her boss where she was going. It’s worth a shot, I suppose.”
Bubbles hitched her oversized tote bag on her shoulder and fluffed up her already voluminous pink hair. “You two mind if I tag along? Figure if Bella cut and run, the boss might finally give me a shot at her spot.”
“Sure. The more, the merrier,” Riley said. “You can tell us how to get there.”
Riley and Bubbles headed off toward the corner in search of a cab, chatting away as if they’d been friends forever. He fell into step behind them and listened as Riley espoused about the wonders of Baltimore.
Fuck. It sounded like his wife was trying to talk Bubbles into considering a move to the east coast if the stripping job didn’t pan out.
The images of her pop’s face and those of Riley’s four brothers crossed his mind. Riley was infamous for bringing home strays—injured pigeons, dogs, once she even found and rescued a blind rat. Hell, just a couple weeks ago, she’d started putting milk out on the back stoop of the restaurant for a small kitten she’d found.
Bubbles laughed loudly at something Riley said and Aaron sighed. Yep. He could see it now. Bubbles was the ultimate stray.